Tóta

Þórhildur Kristín Lárentsínusdóttir, or Tóta, is among Iceland’s premiere bartenders. She began working as a waitress at just 17-years-old at Tapas, a restaurant in Iceland. When she turned 19, she turned her focus to the bar and began learning the art of bartending. At only the age of 20, she became head bartender at a new restaurant, Út í bláinn, located in the Perlan, one of Iceland’s signature landmarks, and created unique cocktail menus for the bar. Tóta then competed in her first cocktail competition, the Reykjavik Cocktail Weekend, and made it to the top five. She has since returned to Tapas and re-created the cocktail menu. In April 2018, Tóta took home the gold in the Brennivin Tikitial Competition, an original Icelandic cocktail competition. Today, Tóta works at Tapas, which she considers home, while also continuing to participate and compete in the world-class scene of bartending.